NOVELIST Sir William Golding, who died at his home in Perranarworthal on Saturday aged 81, has been hailed by fellow authors living in Cornwall as one of Britain's great writers.

Best known for his first published book, Lord of the Flies, Sir William was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1983 and knighted five years ago.

He died from a suspected heart attack in the early hours of Saturday after hosting a party for around 50 guests at his home, Tullimaar, at Perranarworthal, overlooking the creek near the Norway Inn, between Truro and Falmouth.

He leaves a widow Anne, a son and daughter, and three grandsons.

A DEVORAN doctor who saved the life of a local solicitor trapped under a quad bike in creek mud was honoured by the Royal Humane Society last week.

Dr Russell Bolton was awarded the society's Honorary Testimonial on parchment for saving Mr Robin Roebuck's life last October.

Mr Roebuck, who sustained horrific injuries, had been riding his quad bike near the creek opposite Carnon Mine at Devoran when it plunged over the 15 foot cliff and landed in the mud below.

The tide was rising and as the machine landed on top of Mr Roebuck he was trapped and in danger of drowning.

Dr Bolton had been sitting at home when he was told of the accident and immediately rushed to help. He reached the creek and was told Mr Roebuck was sinking in the mud.

The doctor waded out across the mud and then swam to the other side of the creek where he found Mr Roebuck. He lifted the bike clear and made Mr Roebuck as comfortable as he could.

Dr Bolton, a 34-year-old father of two, stayed with Mr Roebuck until a rescue helicopter from RNAS Culdrose arrived and then put him on a stretcher which was winched up.

Mr Roebuck suffered serious injuries to his hand, pelvis and the rest of his body and legs. He endured a lengthy stay in hospital where he underwent several operations including one for pinning his wrist and a number of skin grafts.

THE ill-fated bid to raise the sunken fishing boat Pescado may have to be abandoned, Cornwall's Chief Constable warned yesterday.

If salvors leave the site of the wreck again "without proper reason or explanation" their contract could be cancelled.

Decon and Cornwall police chief John Evans made it clear to a police authority meeting in Exeter that he was ready to get tough with salvor Thomas Chalmers, who was engaged nearly a year ago to retrieve the wreck, but has so far failed to do so.

The Pescado went down with the loss of six lives off Dodman Point on a trip from Falmouth to Plymouth. Relatives of the crew and the boat's owner, Mr Alan Ayres, want the wreck raised to clear up the mystery of how she sank.